Infected with Vaca Ransomware? Need to decrypt your files?
What is Vaca Ransomware
Vaca is a cryptovirus aimed at English-speaking users. After penetrating a computer, it encrypts user files of various formats, such as office documents, archives, photos, videos, and more. After encryption, this changes the extension of these files to .vaca. Of course, the files cannot be used after manipulations. Moreover, it removes system restore points, which makes it very difficult to decrypt files. Also, Vaca creates a special file HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt, which is a note about redemption.
Attention! All your files are encrypted!
To restore your files and access them,
please send an SMS with the text XXXX to YYYY number.
You have N attempts to enter the code.
When that number has been exceeded,
all the data irreversibly is destroyed.
Be careful when you enter the code!
Unlike similar Krypto viruses, Vaca requires you to pay money by sending SMS to attackers. Of course, we do not recommend paying money. Therefore, there are no guarantees that fraudsters will really return your files to their previous state. You need to carefully read the instructions below to try to remove Vaca and decrypt your files.
Update: Use following service to identify the version and type of ransomware you were attacked by: ID Ransomware. If you want to decrypt your files, please follow our instruction below or, if you have any difficulties, please contact us: submit@securitystronghold.com. We really can help to decrypt your files.
How Vaca Ransomware infected your PC
In most cases, Vaca comes to squash gaps in the user networks. This is because users very rarely use antivirus software that can really protect a computer. Choose paid versions of antiviruses that can really neutralize the threat before it penetrates the computer. If Vaca has already penetrated the PC, then you can read our recommendations to remove it immediately.
First of all, don’t panic. Follow these easy steps below.
1. Start your computer in Safe Mode with networking. To do that, restart your computer before your system starts hit F8 several times. This will Vaca Ransomware system from loading and will show Advanced boot options screen. Choose Safe mode with networking option from the options list using up and down arrows on your keyboard and hit Enter.
2. Log in to the system infected with the Vaca Ransomware virus. Launch your Internet browser and download a reliable anti-malware program and start a full system scan. Once the scan is complete, review scan results and remove all entries detected.
Recommended Solution:
SpyHunter 5 – fully removes all instances of Vaca Ransomware – files, folders, registry keys.
You may find more detailed information about antivirus products in our article – Top 5 Antivirus Software for Windows
Restore your files using shadow copies
- Download and run Stellar Data Recovery.
- Select type of files you want to restore and click Next.
- Select the drive and folder where your files are located and date that you want to restore them from and press Scan.
- Once the scanning process is done, click Recover to restore your files.
Step 2: Remove following files and folders of Vaca Ransomware:
Related connections or other entries:
No information
Related files:
No information
How to decrypt files infected by Vaca Ransomware?
You can try to use manual methods to restore and decrypt your files.
Decrypt files manually
Restore the system using System Restore
Although latest versions of Vaca Ransomware remove system restore files, this method may help you partially restore your files. Give it a try and use standard System Restore to revive your data.
- Initiate the search for ‘system restore‘
- Click on the result
- Choose the date before the infection appearance
- Follow the on-screen instructions
Roll the files back to the previous version
Previous versions can be copies of files and folders created by Windows Backup (if it is active) or copies of files and folders created by System Restore. You can use this feature to restore files and folders that you accidentally modified or deleted, or that were damaged. This feature is available in Windows 7 and later versions.
- Right-click the file and choose Properties
- Open the Previous Version tab
- Select the latest version and click Copy
- Click Restore
Written by Rami Douafi